CREW GUIDES LEARJET TO SAFE LANDING AFTER BIRD STRIKE - The pilots of a chartered Model 24D Learjet managed to bring the aircraft down in an Illinois field Wednesday after the aircraft apparently struck a flock of birds moments after takeoff and lost power.
BOMBARDIER COMPLETES SALE OF MILITARY SERVICES DIVISION - Bombardier, Inc., continuing with its plan to shed non-essential businesses while focusing on key programs, completed the sale of its Military Aviation Services (MAS) unit this month. The buyer was L-3 Communications MAS (Canada) Inc., an affiliate of New York-based L-3 Communications Corp. and Canadian based Spar Aerospace Ltd., which paid $87.4 million (U.S.). L-3 bought Canadian manufacturer Spar Aerospace in 2001.
Rockwell Collins reported net income of $258 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, up nine percent from the $236 million reported for the previous year. Sales were up less than one percent to $2.54 billion. "Our 2003 financial results highlight the advantage that our balanced business model affords Rockwell Collins," said Chairman, President and CEO Clay Jones. "The strength of our Government Systems business and our employees' continued focus on controlling costs offset the weakness we experienced in our Commercial Systems business this year."
Jet Aviation completed what it said is the first installation of an enhanced vision system into a Falcon 50EX at the company's West Palm Beach, Fla. facility. Technicians installed a Max-Viz EVS 1000 into the aircraft, permitting the crew to view runways, taxiways and terrain on the ground or in flight. Those images are then displayed on a small liquid crystal display monitor in the cockpit.
Bombardier received converted firm orders for two Q400 turboprop airliners from Horizon Air. The regional airline, which operates a fleet of 15 Q400 aircraft, converted two firm orders for the Bombardier CRJ700 to two Q400 turboprops. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2004. Horizon Air now has firm orders for 28 CRJ700 aircraft, of which 16 have been delivered. In addition to the Q400s, Horizon will take delivery of two more CRJ700 jets by the end of this year.
Experimental Aircraft Association celebrated the culmination last week of its Young Eagles Program under which EAA volunteers took one million youngsters from across the country on their first small aircraft ride. Andrew Grant, 15, a high school sophomore from German Valley, Ill., was recognized as Young Eagle No. 1,000,000 last Thursday. Grant made his flight Oct. 23 with pilot Rick Ellis of Freeport, Ill., who has flown more than 860 Young Eagles since 1995.
DHS TO LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE AVIATION SECURITY STUDY - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has commissioned a $1 million study of aviation security in the United States, focusing on ways to improve security and efficiency, said Parney Albright, science and technology assistant secretary at DHS. The department's Science and Technology Directorate, the division that Albright heads, will lead the six- to 12-month study and work with the help of the Transportation Security Administration.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association voted this month to elect Cirrus Design to membership in the organization. The Duluth, Minn. builder of the SR 20 and SR 22 aircraft will be represented on the GAMA board by Alan Klapmeier, the manufacturer's CEO.
TURKEY MAY BE CLOSE TO DECISION ON HELICOPTER PURCHASE - Turkey may be close to deciding whether to buy Bell Helicopter Textron's King Cobra attack helicopter, industry and Turkish government sources said this month.
GE ENGINE FOR EMBRAER REGIONAL AIRCRAFT MAKES FIRST FLIGHT - Developed to power the Embraer 190 and 195 regional aircraft, GE Aircraft Engines' CF34-10 engine completed a successful first flight last week on a Boeing 747 flying testbed.
CAE signed a deal with US Airways for the sale of two full-flight simulators. CAE will deliver a Bombardier CRJ simulator in the spring of 2004 and follow up with an Embraer 170 simulator in August 2004. The final agreement and financing terms are expected to be completed within the next month. The new orders, which bring CAE's year-to-date order totals to 11, follow the recent certification of the Embraer 170 simulator.
ROBERT BATEMAN was promoted to vice president, internal audit at Kaman Corp. He will be responsible for the company's internal control assessment and reporting provisions required by law. Bateman joined Kaman in 2001 as director of internal audit and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2002.
FAA TO TRAIN INSPECTORS AT EMBRY-RIDDLE - The Federal Aviation Administration forged a new partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, establishing a trial program for training FAA inspectors at the Florida school that will save about $1 million a year, the agency said last week.
GE SIGNS CONTRACT TO SUPPLY ENGINES FOR CHINESE RJ - Officials of GE Aircraft Engines, along with U.S. and Chinese government representatives, signed a formal agreement last week with Chinese AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Co. Ltd. (ACAC) to supply GE engines for China's new regional aircraft.
Corporate Angel Network arranged 210 flights for cancer patients during October, breaking a previous record high of 180 flights earlier this year. The White Plains, N.Y.-based charity organizes free air transportation, using empty seats on corporate jets, for cancer patients traveling to and from treatment.
Atlantic Coast Airlines, which is trying to hold off a hostile takeover attempt by Mesa Air Group, plans to unveil a new name and corporate image this Wednesday at the company's Washington Dulles International Airport headquarters.
A Federal Express Cessna Caravan encountered difficulties while attempting to take off from Phoenix last Thursday. The aircraft, N717BT, was taxiing for departure when the exhaust blast from a Canadair Regional Jet blew the smaller turboprop onto its left wing. No injuries to the single pilot of the Caravan were reported.
EMBRAER SALES AND EARNINGS DOWN, CERTIFICATION OF MODEL 170 DELAYED - Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer reported lower sales and earnings for the third quarter of 2003 and reduced its aircraft delivery forecast for the year because of certification delays with the new Embraer 170 airliner.
CUBIC FORMS NEW SIMULATION DIVISION - Cubic Defense Applications (CDA), the defense segment of San Diego-based Cubic Corp., is forming a new Simulation Systems Division within its Training Systems Business unit. The move follows Cubic's recent acquisition of ECC International Corp. of Orlando, Fla. Cubic said the new division will integrate CDA's pre-acquisition technical operations in Orlando, Fla. with those of ECC.
Avfuel Corp., Ann Arbor, Mich., is providing a new scholarship program for aviation students. Avfuel will give one $500 scholarship each year for five years to a student enrolled in an aviation program at colleges in Michigan. For more information, contact Marci Ammerman, Director of Marketing at Avfuel, P.O. Box 1387, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106-1387.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee is fast-tracking the nomination of Transportation Security Administration chief James Loy, who was picked by President Bush to be the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (BA, Oct. 27/187). The committee said Friday that Loy was filling out committee paperwork and a hearing date will be set when that is complete. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the committee, indicated shortly after Loy's nomination Oct. 23 that she wanted to move ahead with confirmation "as soon as possible."
